3 days to CNY

Police horses and their trailers

Tensions continue to rise as news spreads that Israel will increase building more settlements in Palestine. There is a propaganda war on the Internet with Israel pushing out videos claiming sovereignty over Palestinian land, that Palestine never historically existed, that it is an israeli right to build and live in Palestine. I only hope dialogue and help resolve this, not violence from both sides of the divide. Meantime more stop-and-search are taking place throughout the City, vehicles still forbidden to traverse our streets in the Muslim Quarter (something I'm grateful for) ... and the Mounted Police have arrived. That is a sure sign that they expect problems. The horse trailers are parked opposite the Old City in a plot of land below Notre Dame. The horses are allowed to destress and acclimatise to the noise and smells of the City before they are brought into service in the streets.

One thing is I hope this tension will not dampen the Chinese New Year celebrations. Not that Israel ever celebrates it ... but for us chinese pats who want to celebrate, closure of roads, curfews and transport stoppages would not be pleasant.

And the weather promises to be cool if not cold during the CNY. Forecast is for rain on Friday night to Monday.

Prayer for Unity Week

Barren trees in the park

Police presence has been visibly stepped up today. All vehicles are now forbidden in our street (Via Dolorosa) except for residents'. Even tractors that bring in goods and vegetables to the shops are stopped. Only guys who push carts are allowed. Now that is a nice change for us ... less noise and danger in our narrow street in front of our door. And ... there're lots of stop-and-search at every police bloc. Well the reasons were mentioned in yesterday's blog. I dislike the tension that this creates. It feels so like something is going to give way ... and that's scary. Dialogue seems to be out of the equation. Anyway more news saying another 2,500 Israeli houses have been approved to be built in arab Palestine.   http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.767203

Tel Aviv skyline at dawn: like a
painting

This also dampens the lovely weather we're having today. It was 15 degrees and very sunny though the wind can be quite cold. Teenage guys were practicing parkour in the park while some families were picnicking under the trees. While some bedouin hawkers were tolerated inside Damascus Gate, I witnessed a man selling balloons having his boxes kicked over by 6 soldiers and told to leave. The poor guy was grabbing all his goods along the steps, stuffing them back into boxes while the 6 soldiers stood over him. Miserable and humiliating. Lots of arabs stood and watched silently. No one dared to help, no one dared to criticise. This is the beginning.

This week is Prayer for Unity Week and prayers are offered at different christian churches throughout the City. Yesterday was at the Armenian Orthodox Cathedral. Tonight it's at the Anglican Cathedral. Lots of people join in ... nuns who have nothing to do, priests who are curious at seeing other churches, and lots of lay people who go for the free refreshments. Nothing like a little free food and curiosity to unite people.

5 days to CNY

Rainbow over Andromeda's Rock

Another busy weekend has passed. I had to work in our other monastery in Jaffa because it's the Orthodox feast of the Baptism of Christ. Our Oriental Rite catholics follow the Julian Calendar so they also celebrate the feast day on Sunday with the Orthodox. In Jaffa 3 of our priests are Oriental Rite so they went to the River Jordan with their pastoral communities. The superior is on home leave and another had his family visiting. So no one at home. I had to go for the weekend to care for the sacristy as well as provide Masses at the various centers around the coast. It was very hectic but a nice change from Jerusalem.  And the weather was fantastic. A warm 18 degrees during the day. And there was a lovely rainbow over the Mediterranean Sea in the morning when I arrived.

On the local scene, tensions are rising day by day. Trump's push to move the American Embassy to Jerusalem is very very provocative and we're expecting violence in the next few days if reports progress. Then yesterday the Israeli govt. has gone ahead to approve building 566 houses in Palestinian land, with the eventual move to annex parts of Palestine. And the on-going demolition of arab homes is raising the ire now of Druze communities - traditionally the allies of Israel - because they too have been targeted. This will surely trigger more tensions. We're not looking forward to the coming days.  http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.766839

 The chinese restaurants here are preparing for the New Year. Both Mandarin and Mian have special dinners catered for the expatriate chinese communities in Jerusalem. There will of course be no public decorations as it will be deemed idolatry by the ultra-orthodox jews. Everything is kept indoors behind closed doors. It's such a different experience to be a minority in race and religion living in another country. Chinese New Year doesn't have that feel back in Asia ... not simply because  it's celebrated by a minority but because it's frowned upon and (sooner or later) condemned by the hosts.

One week before CNY

Awesome sunset

There was an amazing sunset this evening ... bunched clouds reflecting the red sun ... like grapes hanging in the sky. The weather was warm, about 18 degrees today. Nights are also quiet warm, about 8 degrees. I only had one heater on last night. And I noticed the sun rises early than before ... like about 5.40am. That means Spring is on its way.

It was just as well that the weather was fine because the Orthodox Churches just celebrated the Baptism of Christ a day ago. Traditionally all (Greek, Syrians, Copts, Armenians, Ethiopians) orthodox churches celebrate this feast at the River Jordan. A bishop blesses the river and throws a cross into it, symbolizing the baptism of Christ. People then jump into the water to search for it. The finder of the cross is believed to have good luck all year round. I think that's just superstitious, but I must say it's a miracle in itself that anyone could jump into the cold muddy filthy water and come out alive.  http://www.jpost.com/Christian-News/Christians-flock-to-Jordan-River-baptism-site-despite-landmines-478901?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=targetings-jp&utm_content=rss_news#0_5_5123_11169_954_86326960

It's one week before the Chinese New Year, and the forecast here is lots of rain. Well I guess that's a blessing for us. The fine warm weather now will turn cold and damp again. Let's hope it won't dampen the festive spirit here ... the few chinese living in Jerusalem. Billy has invited me to his restaurant for New Year hotpot ... but it'll depend on the weather. I'm not walking 2 km uphill in the rain for that.

I have no comments over Trump's becoming the President of the USA ... except that it's the reason why there is a heightened military presence in the City. http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Israeli-security-forces-predict-uptick-in-tensions-as-Trump-inauguration-looms-near-479072

Tensions have already been heightening before the Trump inauguration, when the Israeli authorities began demolishing bedouin houses to make way for a jewish settlement. Several killed and many injured in the skirmishes. Israeli arabs have now joined the protest as well. Arab shops and businesses have gone on strike to show solidarity.   http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4909735,00.html

And then there is this damning editorial regarding the demolition and deaths:   http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.765915

Polish president pays a visit

The Polish president and his entourage are right now in our courtyard, paying a visit to the Custos. Israeli security is everywhere ... they first made a search of the entire building before other polish visitors (mostly nuns and priests as well as the Press) were allowed to come in. Well that doesn't bother me one bit except if they want to block my way from going to other offices to do my job.

My librarians & the E.A. team
working on a manuscript

And there's a lot to do in my job. Right now the "Endangered Archives" team form the British Library are here to digitalise our manuscripts before time takes its toll on the parchments and the  manuscripts are destroyed. It's a painstaking task, page by page photography and we have several hundred codices. The team also advise on how to conserve the manuscripts and try to do minor conservation whenever possible. We lack a lot of tools for proper conservation here in Israel. Buying equipment and accessories for conservation from Europe costs a lot of money.

The Min. of Health has issued a warning this morning that all shops selling coffee (espresso and the like) from machines must stop. That's because it's been discovered that the machines have a very high percentage of lead which is poisonous when drunk. Shops have started removing those machines and looking for alternative means to boil good coffee. But to ask Israelis and arabs to stop drinking coffee ... well it's impossible.  http://www.timesofisrael.com/health-ministry-stop-buying-coffee-lead-traces-found-in-machines/

This morning while walking to work, several policemen were accompanying a handcuffed arab to the police station. There's been a significant rise in police presence and stop-searches these few days. Not sure why though. But it's making the City tense and people unhappy. I'll keep out of the way.

News from Aleppo

Inside a chapel

We're just receiving images of the destruction caused by ISIS and other extremists in Aleppo ... churches and sacred images destroyed and burned. A group of our franciscan friars have gone there to survey the situation and reported the suffering in that city ... and not just in Aleppo but now also in Damascus. Rebels have cut off electricity and water in most parts of the city and poisoned the wells and springs so no natural water is available for drinking. Luckily it's snowing so the people can melt the snow for drinking. The situation is bad. Don't forget to pray for them and do your part in helping your fellow christians.

There's no snow in our part of the country ... and it was warm today ... about 15 degrees during the day. It will get warmer tomorrow ... forecast is 17 degrees. Nights are around 8 degrees. That's good. I can live with that. I've had only one minor asthma attack so far. But the shoulder continues to bother me.

Friars in the chapel

Military presence in the Old City has been stepped up after an arab youth was killed in one of the southern villages during a police raid. There was another attempted stabbing near the town of Tulkarm at the checkpoint today. Helicopters were flying really low this morning over the Old City. Let's hope all this violence would stop. It is doing no one any good.

Tourist groups have ground to almost a halt. That's usual in January, the low season of every year. Usually February is also low season due to the cold, rain and snow. But in recent years February is becoming crowded and many hotels and hospices reopen to receive guests. Groups are usually from Asia especially China ... people enjoying the Lunar New Year holidays. Let's hope lots of groups come this year. It'll help boost up the economy.

Israeli durians

Damascus Gate market back to
normal routine

Sunday passed so quickly I still am trying to get to terms with it. I planned to clean my room, keep the christmas decorations and do some reading. But none of it was realised. I was just rushing from one place to another at work. As I said in a previous blog, the Endangered Archives team from Europe is here to digitalise our very ancient and poorly conserved manuscripts ... some going back to the Medieval Ages. Most are huge and heavy antiphonaries and psalters used in the Holy Sepulchre or Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem; most have heavy wooden boards as covers, lined and studded with bronze. Two full grown men are required to carry one book. My injured right shoulder doesn't help.

The weather has gone very sunny again today. No dark clouds and overcast skies ... but still very cold. The fine weather has brought the hawkers back to Damascus Gate and the bustle of the Suq (market) brings back some life to an other quiet subdued weekend.

There was a piece of news in today's newspapers that ... well, I'm not sure to laugh or be shocked. A blunder at the police station ended with an issuance to a dead person that she can appeal against her cause of death, as investigations end. http://www.timesofisrael.com/cops-tell-dead-woman-she-can-appeal-cause-of-death/

Israeli durians?

And yesterday as I was out at the Filipino asian grocery, guess what I found in the freezer for sale? Durians!!! 3 pieces of frozen, de-seeded durians in each pack. And the package had hebrew ... hence I think Israel is now growing durians, as I heard about this several years back. Israel is already producing starfruit, soursops, lychees and mangos ... and the the local consumer is getting used to these exotic fruit. Now I'm really looking forward to rambutans and longans.

Well the rest of the week is going to be busy ... as far as I can see. The students are having their exams and the libraries are full of them studying and researching. Looks like I won't get a break these few weeks.